Signal



S. B. SHAW.

SIGNAL.

APPLICATtON FILED APR.22. 1919.

1 3 1 3, 6G9 Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

SOLOMON n. srmw, or GRAND RAPIDS, momenta SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 22, 1919. Serial No. 291,957.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SoLoMoN- B. SHAW, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled.in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.-

This invention relates to a signal particularly adapted for use at the rear of a motor vehicle, and it is an object and purpose of the invention to produce a signal of particularly simple and economical construction, one in which the usual rear red light may be eliminated, the signal taking its place, andone which automatically notifies anyone in the rear to stop whenever the-vehicle equipped with the signal has the brakes applied to stop it. ThlS signal combining several safety functions, includes many novel features of construction and arrangements of parts for successfully attaining the results desired as will appear more fully and in detail as understanding of the invention is had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the signal, taken transversely thereof.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the slgnal when the stop element has been brought into use. v v

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the signal with its parts in normal position.

F ig. 4 is a horizontal section taken lengthwise' of the signal, the li ht bulb being v.

1ng ends 16 which may be pinched against omitted for clearness of disc osure.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the signal.

Fig. 6 is afragmentary elevation of one end of the blank from which the back member of the signal is made.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective View illustrating a detail of construction relating to the attachment of celluloid transparencies in the signal casing, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of a rod support forming one element of the signal.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

In the construction of the signal, a plate of sheet metal 1 is used for the back thereof, from which a longitudinal lip 2 is turned rearwardlylat its upper edge and a shorter hp 3 at Its lower edge, while integral ends .4 for the signal are bent forward from the ends of the plate. The front member of the slgnal 'is curved into substantially semi-spherical form as indicated at, 5 and at its rear upper edge is formed into a re turn 11p 6 adapted to engage over the lip 2. At its lower rear edge the front member 5 has a section 7 turned downwardly and lying against the lower portion of the back 1 immediately above the lip 3. Edges 8 are turned from the ends of the curved front 5 to lie against the ends 4 thereby making a tight and substantially dust proof housing. Bolts 9 pass through the part 7 and the back 1 for connecting the front and back members together, and the motor vehicle license plate 10 may be suspended from the signal housing, the same bolts being used for attachment thereof. It is evident that by removing the bolts'9, the curved front may be taken off at any time for replacement of the light bulb, later described, when it becomes necessary to replace it.

In the member 5 an elongated o ening 11 is made and the metal at both t e upper and lower edges of the openings is formed to make parallel guides 12 for the reception of a transparent member 13, preferably sheet of celluloid. Likewise at a lower point in the member 5 a second openin .is

Patented Aug. 19,1919.

made with similar guides 12 in whic a 1 bers have been placed in the guides, each end is provided with a clip 15 of metal havthe members 13 and 14 thus reinforcing and stiffening the same and providing stops which keep the members 13 and 14 from endwise movement.

A bar 17 is disposed lengthwise of the member 1 and within the signal housing, its ends being bent to form ears 18 which support a horizontal rod 19. The bar is attached to back 1 by bolts 20 which project a distance from the housing and are used to attach the signal to the motor vehicle. A second horizontal bar 21 has arms 22 bent therefrom which pivotally connect with and are mounted on the ends of the rod 19, said bar 21 being adapted to turn about the axis of the rod 19 and swing back and forth within the housing back of the curved cover 5. A curved signal member 23 is connecteel to the bar 21 many suitable manner and moves with the same back and forth back of the opening 11 and the transparency 13. The said member 23 is normally moved 1n a downward direction by a spring formed from a single piece of wire including a loop 24 from which the two portions of the wire extend downwardly as indicated at 25 back of the bar 21 and between it and the signal member 23,, thence upward and to the rear as indicated at 26 to the rod .19, where b h of the parts of the wire are formed into spring coils 27 through which therod passes, the ends 28 of the wire'beyond the -coll's coming against the front side of the back 1.

The tendency of the spring coils is to move the signal member23 downwardly, and the parts 25 with the loop 24 serve as a means to which a cable 29 may be attached, the

' same passing through a suitable opening 1n the back 1 and being adapted for attachment to the brake edal or any other suitable part of the bra lle operating mechanism.

which moves in a forward direction when the brakes are operated. Normallythe cable is attached so that when the brake pedal is in its normal position, the signal member 23 is drawn to the position shown in Fig. 1 and does not cover the transparency 1'4.

' Y A light bulb is carried detachably in wires- 33 supply current to the bulb in the a socket 31 which. is supported on any suitable support 32 connected to the back- 1. It may be a separate member or formed integra'l with the bar 17. Electric circuit the required red light at night, and in addition light passes through the sections 37 for greater safety when the vehicle is moved rearwardly at night. In the lower portion of the signal member the Word Stop is made, as indicated at 38, by cutting the letters thereof through the metal, and it is designed that when the brake pedal is moved.

7 forward, pulling on the cable 29, this word shall come into position directly back of the opening 11 and show to those in the rear of the vehicle equipped with the signal. At night the light will show through and in the day time the signal will be clearly visible.

The structure of the signal is very simple -The installation is simple. not only a stop signal device but at the same and can be produced at very low cost of manufacture. The automatic signaling to those in the rear as soon as the vehicle equipped with the signalis beginnig to be brought to a stop, wholly or partly, is of great value and 1s a very essential safety appliance in connection with motor vehicles. Tlns signal is time furnishes the usual rear light and a place to attach license plates, elimination of the license plate bracket and of the usual tail light being accomplished; while the signal is of good appearance and harmonizes with the design of the vehicle to which it is attached.

I claim.

1. Iii a device of the character described, a housing having a vertical back and a curved front member, said front member having an opening therein, a signal member mounted to move in a curved path up and down b ack of the front member, said signal member having an upper opening therein covered by a transparency including a red sect on, and having a series of letters cut through its lower portion, yielding means normally holding the signal member in lower position to bring the upper opening n said signal member back of the opening 1n the front member in the housing, means for moving the signal member upwardly to bring the series of letters back of said opening in the front member, and a light within housing'back of the movable signal member, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described,

o u I a housing comprising a vertical back member, a curved front member detachablv connected thereto and provided with openings in the front and lower portions thereof, a transparency filling each opening, a curved signal member located directly back of the said front member, a bar connected to the rear side of the signal member between its upper and lower edges and formed with rearwardly extending arms at its ends. a rod located horizontally within the housing on which the rear ends of said arms are pivotally mounted, a spring normally holding the signal member in lower position, a light in the housing back of the signal member, and means for raising the signal member to upper posltlon, said signal member being formed wlth two series of signal devices adapted to show through the upper transparency 1n the housing when in its two positlons, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described. a housing comprising a vertical back plate of sheet metal, having a rearwardlv turned 11p at its upper edge and two fdrwardlv turned ends, a front memberof curved forma tion provided with a return lip at its rear upper edge to hook over and engage with the lip on the back member, and with a.

' a light within the housing, a signal member movably mounted within the housing, spring means normally moving the signal member in one direction, and means for moving said signal vmember in the opposite direction against the force of the spring, said hous-. ing having front and lower openings whereby the light may illuminate the license plate through the lower opening, and whereby the signal member may be seen through the front opening, substantially as described. 4. -In a device of the character described, a housing having a vertical back, ends, and a curved front member provided with a front opening therein, the metal at the upper and lower edges of said opening being pressed back and formed into guides, a transparent member locatedin and between .the guides, a light within the housing, a

curved signal member mounted to move about a horizontal axis back of the signal member, and provided with signal devices adapted to comedirectly back of the opening in the curved member of the housing, spring means normally tending to move the signal member in one direction, and a cable attached to the signal member and passing through the back member 'by means of which the signal member may-be moved to another position against the force of the spring, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the character described, a housing having a vertical back, ends, and a curved front member provided with a front opening therein, a bar located against the back within the housing and attached thereto, the ends of the bar being turned forward to make ears, a rod carried by and between the cars, a curved signal member located directly back of the curved front member of the housing and provided with signal devices to showthrough the opening in the front of the housing, a bar attached to the rear side of-the signal member between its upper and lower edges, and formed at its ends with rearwardly turned arms pivotally mounted at theirends on the rod, a spring coiled at two separated points around the rod and, having legs extending from said coils in one direction to bear against the back of the housing, and other legs extending to and under the last named bar and between said bar and the signal member, thence upwardly and to the rear to a pointsubstantially back of the upper edge of the signal member, said springs being formed from a single piece of wire the middle-portion of which is formed 'into a loop at said point,

and a cable attached to the loop and passing through the back, substantially as described. 7

I 6. In a device of the character described, a housing comp'risinga back, ends, and a curved front member provided with a front opening therein, a rod located horizontally within the housing and supported a short 'each end connected to the signal member lengthwise thereof, said arms being pivotally mounted on the rod, a light carried within the housing, a spring member formed from a single pieceof wire formed into a loop at its middle, thence having the two portions thereof passing. downwardly vto and between the signal member and the bar attached thereto, thence rearwardly to the rod where each portion is formed into a spring coil, through which coil the rod 'passes, and thence terminating in legs which bear against said back of the housing, and a cable'connected to said loop and passing through the back, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my si ature.. 

